Acoustic sleep-inducing apparatus



June 30, 1953 c. BEAZLEY 2,644,153

ACOUSTIC SLEEP INDUCING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1950 INVENTOR.

BY fiars3a Z3.

Patented June 30, 1953 UNITED STATES P TENT; OFFICE ACOUSTICSLEEP-INDUCING APPARATUS I Charles Beazley, Chicago, Ill.

A plication April 12, 1950, Serial No. 155,441

This invention relates toaudible sound pro-.

ducers which I have termed the Slumberbug ducer of the present inventionemploys no electronic tubes, the sound being produced purely by means ofthe normal sinusoidal voltage wave of the usual commercial alternatingcurrent sup-' ply, which ordinarily has an appreciable harmonic content.Two levels of sound are produced. One is what may be termed a continuousunbroken background hum of about 120 cycles which is periodicallyoverridden at regular intervals of approximately four seconds durationby a second and louder hum which lasts approximately another fourseconds and then cuts off to background hum again. This cycle of fourseconds loud and four seconds soft repeats itself throughout the periodof operation of the device. It is this regular volume change,accompanied by a tone change which accompanies the voltage change, thateffects the desired result.

Other features and advantages of the'invention will become apparent uponreading the following specification, together with the accompanyingdrawing forming a part thereof, wherein corresponding reference numeralsdenote similar parts throughout the several figures.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective external view of sleep inducing apparatus inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram of an embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic electrical circuit diagram illustrating a modifiedform of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

The reference numeral 1 denotes a conventional loudspeaker housing inwhich the sound producer is enclosed and which is provided with the conventional control knobs 2 and adapted to be plugged into an A.-C. housecircuit or the like. The line plug is connected to a 60 cycleapproximately 11-7 volt alternating current source and with the lineswitch 4 closed, current will flow through the entire circuit.

Serially connected in the circuit is the thermostatic switch 5 withcontacts normally open providing a periodically operating flasher of thetype used in window display sign flashers and with the components hereused in the circuit, the resistance of the flasher is approximately 1500ohms and the complete on and off cycle about eight seconds. Alsoarranged in the circuit is 3 Claims. (01. 340 -384) 2 the pilot light 6which serves as an off and on indicator light and also as additionalload on the thermostatic switchas otherwise the load would be ratherlight and insufficient to cause the desired periodic operation of switch5. An iron core choke I in the circuit serves to reduce ripple level andsmooth out the output tone by removing undesired harmonics therefromand, further, it greatly reduces contact click of the flasher unit.

A paper tubular condenser 8 rated .5 mid. 600 volts and an audio outputtransformer 9 are provided, the condenser being used to bypass thehigher audio frequencies or harmonics of the power supply and keep themout of the primary winding of the output transformer thus giving a lowertone.

wire wound long life volume controls of one hundred ohms or less isprovided and together with a permanent magnet dynamic loud speaker Itcompletes the-apparatus. The series choke or inductor 1, in combinationwith the shunt capacitor 8, constitute a low pass filter.

In operation the volume change is produced by the thermostatic switch ofthe type shown and it is this use of a thermostatic switchto maintainand to produce a change in volume of sound which is important as it willalmost invariably induce sleep. The same result is attained by the motordriven circuit breaker shown in Fig. 3 and which includesa speedreduction drive to produce different sound level periods recurringregularly at the desired intervals.

Referringnow to Fig. 3 a motor driven sound timing mechanism is shown.The disc 5a is a circuit breaker driven by the motor I I and geared 7down to produce the desired'speed of operation.

The shunting resistor 5b reduces the current flow to produce softbackground hum when contacts are open. I v

When current flows through the entire circuit a soft 120 cycle hum willbe heard from the loud speaker. The 120 cycle hum from a cycle. sourceis due to the fact that both alternations of each cycle affect thespeaker. This soft hum is the condition existing with reduced currentwhen resistance is shunted out of the circuit allowing.

It also reduces click by contact sparksin the flasher and gives asmoother note and less ripple than would be otherwise had. Av

3 more current to flow accompanied by a corresponding increase in volumeand some change in timbre of the tone caused by saturation effects inthe iron core of the choke 1. When the contacts are closed theresistance wire cools and the contacts again separate.

What is claimed is:

1. An acoustic sleep inducing device of the class described, comprisingan alternatingcurrent circuit of low and substantially constantfrequency; said alternating currenthaving a fundamental sinusoidal Waveshape accompanied by incidental, harmonics; sound producing meansconnected to said circuit for energization therefrom;v saidcsoun dnproducing means emitting a low humming sound;

an inductor serially included in said energizing connection for reducingthe flowiofrsaidharmone ics therethrough; a resistor serially includedin said energizing connection; and periodically'op'er' ative circuitmaking and breaking means connected across said resistor, whereby theenergy level of said seu nd emitted by said: producing: means 1 variesperiodi'cally bet-ween '-'two-' prede'ter mined values- 2.-A-sleepinducing dvi'ce accordingto'claim 1;

wherein said inductor is an iron core choke, and in which a change inthe timbre of the sound emitted by said sound producing meansaccompanies said changes in the energy level of said emitted sound, saidchanges in timbre being caused, at least in part, by saturation efiectsin said iron core.

3. A sleep inducing device according to claim 1, further comprising ashunt capacitor connected to -said'sound producing means, said:capacitor conn'ecting'reducing clicks caused by said circuit making andbreakingrmeans, and further reducing'the effects of said harmonics.

CHARLES BEAZLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,862,096 Parkin Jan. 7, 1931 2,'15 1,'Z2,6*;= Aflz'l'enrnn-.Mar;r28,:,1939 2304,095 B111 .1 Decv 8, 1942:, 2,317,713 Aufieroi; Apr:27,- 1943; 2,332,448: Ing1is' Oct;:;19,,1943.?- 2,450,933: Bell0013111211948:

